


The Best Decorations

by TheFirstMrsHummel



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Christmas Fluff, David Rose is a Good Person, David Rose is a Nice Person, M/M, Patrick Brewer avoids difficult conversations, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27694220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFirstMrsHummel/pseuds/TheFirstMrsHummel
Summary: When a box of Christmas ornaments from Marcy arrives a few weeks before David and Patrick's first Christmas in the cottage, Patrick's not sure they'll fit in with his husband's aesthetic.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 40
Kudos: 146
Collections: Schitt's Creek: Frozen Over (2020)





	The Best Decorations

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SCFrozenOver2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SCFrozenOver2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Their first year as husbands in their new house, David wants to put up a beautifully decorated tree. But Marcy sends them a box of homely looking ornaments that are special to Patrick/have family significance. Patrick hides the box from David because he thinks they’re not nice enough to put on the tree. What happens when David finds them? Show me a mature David here.

Patrick wasn’t surprised that David had big plans for their first Christmas as a married couple in their new home. He’d spent two previous holidays up close and personal with his husband’s preferred aesthetic, decorating and stocking items for Rose Apothecary’s busy Christmas season according to David’s strict opinions of what fell into _correct_ and _incorrect_ categories. Based on their wildly successful sales, Patrick was happy to follow his lead, even if it was a bit different from the surroundings he’d been raised in.

For one thing, David wanted an artificial tree.

“I know I usually advocate for naturally sourced items, but nature just can’t offer me the symmetry I’m picturing,” David had said, as he pieced together his mood board. He’d decided on a slim seven foot tree that would be adorned with exclusively silver, blue and black decorations.

Patrick tried, but he was having a hard time mustering up enthusiasm. On the one hand he knew that the important thing was having their first Christmas in the cottage, with their family and friends surrounding them. But on the other hand…it just wasn’t the warmth and coziness he associated with Christmas. When he compared David’s current ideals to his past, it felt somehow lacking.

So many years with his parents, the tree different every time and smelling strongly of pine as he and his dad tried to find the best angle to hide any gaps in the boughs. The sad, Charlie Brown-esque tree and motel room that they’d all pitched in on to make Johnny’s second Christmas in Schitt’s Creek a wonderous celebration of family, both born and found. Patrick couldn’t find it in himself to argue against David’s wishes, but he didn’t love how sterile and cold David’s plans left him feeling.

The package that had shown up on their doorstep the day before wasn’t helping much. Marci had sent a box full of sentimental ornaments along with a note that read _I hope these treasures make you and David just as happy as they’ve made us for so long. Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you soon!_

Patrick was torn as he sifted through the contents. They brought back so many memories of decorating the tree with his parents, back in a time when he’d never doubted their love or support. Not that he should have ever doubted it, but coming out after thirty years on Earth and a long engagement to a woman had had him understandably concerned. Until David made everything right, like he always did.

He held up the first ornament. _Baby’s First Christmas_ , with his birth date engraved in cheap plated gold under a photo of him as a squishy infant. He suspected that his parents had planned on adding others to the tree, but the universe had decided to make the three of them a small but loving family. It had been more than enough.

Next was a Blue Jays logo miniature baseball, the year Patrick first joined Little League imprinted on the fake leather. Patrick remembered opening it Christmas morning and squealing, insisting on hanging it on the tree immediately, cradled in Clint’s strong arms.

He pulled out an ornament gifted by Rachel the year before he’d proposed to her, a Rush guitar pick from the _Time Machine_ tour encased in a clear plastic disc. He remembered kissing her gratefully, while the diamond ring he’d selected for her stayed stored safely away in his sock drawer. It would be best if he proposed for New Year’s or on Valentine’s Day. Just not that particular day, when everything was calm and comfortable as it was.

There were many more, a whole box full. So many memories complete with hooks for hanging, all without exception falling into the David Rose column labeled _incorrect_.

Patrick closed the box back up and shoved it in the back of the closet he and David shared. There were plans to make the second guest bedroom into a full walk in closet for David’s clothes in the next two years; but for the time being they were doing their best with a 25/75 split in David’s favor. The ornaments would stay back there, and maybe when it was time for the remodel Patrick could bring them out and suggest using them.

He shut the closet door and went downstairs to start making dinner for his husband.

***~***

A week later David was digging into the recesses of their closet, complaining that he couldn’t find the 2009 Dior Homme V-necked graphic sweater he’d snagged on Grailed at an absolute steal. Patrick had no idea what sweater David was talking about, even though he was sure at some point he’d been shown a picture of it on David’s phone. There were a lot of pictures of a lot of sweaters, so it was hard to keep them all straight.

“It might help if you looked for something black and white in there,” Patrick called into the closet with a smirk, making an educated guess. “Maybe with some random words on it in an aesthetically pleasing pattern?”

“Excuse me!” came David’s muffled voice. “You’re not helping.”

“We’re going to be late to open the store if you don’t find it in the next few minutes. Maybe there’s a backup you could consider?”

“What’s this?” After some random scuffling noises, David appeared at the closet doorway, holding the box of ornaments with a curious look on his face.

“Oh, that. Um, that’s nothing.” Patrick’s stomach sank.

“Patrick Brewer, are you hiding something from me again?” His lips twisted in amusement the way only David’s could, where one side went up and the other crooked down. “Christmas gifts in our closet? Surely you have more imagination than that?”

Patrick looked down, finding it hard to play along with David’s teasing words. He felt bad about hiding the box from David and guilty for being embarrassed by the contents.

“Just put it back, David.” Patrick pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” David’s voice wasn’t playful any longer, it was concerned, and Patrick heard the soft thunk of the box being set down.

“Nothing. We need to get to the store.”

“You’re upset. The store can wait.”

“David…no.”

“Patrick, _yes_. I’m pretty sure it can.”

Patrick felt David’s big, warm hands cradle his jaw until their faces were level, and he opened his eyes. The worry and love in his husband’s eyes broke something in him.

“I’m sorry,” Patrick said, blinking back the edge of tears. He hated how even after all this time, after obfuscations both big and small, he still erred on the side of hiding uncomfortable things from the people he loved the most. Years of habit were harder to overcome than he’d ever thought possible.

“You don’t have to be sorry, just tell me what’s in the box that’s got you all worked up. It can’t be that bad.”

And of course, David was right. Patrick wasn’t sure when he’d decided to make some tacky Christmas decorations into high drama worthy of his mother-in-law, but perhaps the Roses were rubbing off on him a bit.

“My mom sent me some old ornaments from our Christmases over the years. I knew they didn’t match your vision for our first tree, so I stashed them in the back of the closet. It’s not a big deal, David. I shouldn’t have made such a fuss.”

“Can I see them?” David said, with a liquid warm gaze and tender smile.

Patrick’s heart clenched, and the reason he’d hidden the items from David came rushing to the forefront. “I don’t think you’ll like them much,” he whispered.

“I’d like to try. Will you at least give me the chance do that?”

Patrick blew out a breath. “Yeah, go ahead. You can open the box.”

David sat down cross-legged and drew the package between his knees. Without ever looking at Patrick, he took every item out of the box one by one, cradling each carefully in his hands before setting it to the side with gentle reverence. From time to time he would ask Patrick a question about provenance, as if the gold spray-painted pasta shapes glued to a cardboard circle Patrick had made in third grade was of some great artistic importance. Finally, David finished emptying the box, all the ornaments fanned out in front of where he sat.

“Do you like them?” Patrick managed to get out past the lump in his throat.

“I love them.” David looked up, smiling. “They’re part of you, and I love every part of you.”

“Even the ugly ones?” asked Patrick. He held up a misshapen, lumpy clay Santa made at Vacation Bible School, whose left arm had been broken off at some point.

David took the Santa from Patrick’s hand. “What ugly ones?”

***~***

David and Patrick’s Christmas party was in full swing. Sarah McLachlan’s _Wintersong_ played softly in the background, as their friends and family laughed and conversed in small groups throughout the cottage. The kitchen island had been turned into a buffet of delectable snacks, finger foods and adult beverages. Everything was warm, full of comfort and love, and it was the best Christmas so far that Patrick could ever remember having.

Standing tall above all the proceedings was their tree – not seven feet precisely as David had planned, since they had decided to go with a real Scotch Pine from Ray’s best shipment, but in the neighborhood. It was studded with golden fairy lights and an assortment of the black and blue ornaments David had ordered, interspersed generously with the decorations Marcy had sent and a few selections from the Apothecary’s inventory as well. Patrick looked at it fondly, his half-finished beer held loosely in his hand.

“Uh-oh!” came David’s voice behind him. He turned to find his husband dangling a sprig of mistletoe over his head, smiling broadly.

Patrick kissed David. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you.”

David’s face was split with an ear to ear grin, and the hand not holding the mistletoe was hidden behind his back. Patrick was immediately curious; when David was excited about something it was nearly impossible for him to conceal it.

“What’s behind your back, David?”

“Oh, nothing.” David tried to bite back the grin but it was hopeless.

“Well if that’s the case, I guess I’ll go see if the punch bowl needs refilling. Bob was hitting the eggnog pretty hard earlier.”

“Okay, okay.” David rolled his eyes and gave in, holding out a small dark blue gift bag with white snowflakes stenciled on it. A quiff of light blue tissue paper peeked out of the top. “Just a little something, an early Christmas present. An aperitif, as they say.”

“Aw, David!” Patrick was both touched and amused. He put his beer down and reached for the bag, pulling out the tissue paper and setting it next to the discarded bottle.

“It’s not much, but I hope you like it.” David’s voice had gone shy.

Patrick reached in and removed the object inside the bag. All at once, it was like the noises of the party faded away, as he realized what he was holding in his hand.

Two weeks before Rose Apothecary had hosted a holiday craft event for kids, where the little ones had been able to make their own ornaments out of various materials for a nominal fee. It had been a rousing sales success, with the grateful parents of distracted children making a substantial dent in their inventory of wine, gourmet food and home goods. However, it had left quite the mess of glitter and glue about the store, and David had grumbled more than a bit as he swept up the detritus that evening.

 _Don’t be a grinch, David_ , Patrick had chided gently. _Everyone had a good time and made a few happy family memories. Surely that’s worth a little extra sweeping._

David had paused, and Patrick remembered how oddly considering his demeanor had become. After a moment he’d smiled - a soft, secret smile that had puzzled Patrick.

 _I suppose you’re right_ , David had said.

The ornament Patrick held in his hand was obviously made from the supplies from that event. A circle of wood was surrounded with garish plastic sequins, its surface washed with pearly white paint. The words handwritten on the ornament in extremely incorrect green and red paint pen stood out boldly, the penmanship unmistakably belonging to David Rose.

**DAVID & PATRICK**

**MERRY AND MARRIED**

**EST. 2019**

Tears pricked at Patrick’s eyes. “Oh, David,” he breathed. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

David smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “You’re welcome. I guess you could say I was inspired to create a family memory for us. One of the first, but definitely not the last.” He gestured towards the tree. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Patrick took David’s hand and led him over to the shining Christmas tree. “I’d love to.” He hung the new decoration in the very front, close to the glass pickle ornament that had been passed down from his mom’s side of the family.

“Fits right in, don’t you think?” said David.

“Just like you and me,” Patrick replied. He kissed his husband soundly before turning his attention back to the tree. “A perfect fit.”


End file.
